To Those on the East Coast Who Survived Hurricane Sandy

A Tribute and a Prayer for Hurricane Sandy Survivors
So have been awful tied up of late, and haven’t written as much.  But wanted to add some comments to all the discussions about Hurricane Sandy.  First, I’d like to say that we should never underestimate the power of God…….the power of the hurricane was minimal in comparison…..especially the power to help those people in the midst of such devastation.  Help to give them peace in the storm, hope in the loss and courage for the future……and to use His people to be His hands and feet providing for material needs and emotional support.  I encourage each of us, as we did this morning in church, to be praying for those folks, and praying to discern what God might be asking of each of us to help.  I am thankful that the U.S.is a place where, when these kinds of things happen, our government actively seeks to help, and our people pour out their hearts and resources to make the needed difference.  Many of those people on the coast have a long and difficult road ahead of them.
I thought this morning of Matthew 7:24-27, where it talks about the difference between people who build their lives on doing God’s word and those who hear it but don’t do it.  Remember the story?  One is like a house built on a rock that withstands the storms, the other is built on sand and washes away in the flood.  We have just seen graphic images of that parable.  I was especially struck by those island homes on the beaches that were so devastated…..in one case, I heard about a beach, road and parking lot all washed away right up to somebody’s beach house! 
In times like what those folks are experiencing, one feels like they have lost so much of life, and often evaluates what really is important in life.  We hear it when people say things like, “Well, our house is gone, and our possessions are gone, but, thank God, we are all alive and well.”  (And, the same kind of evaluations take place when one goes through the devastation of divorce, too, by the way.)  In those evaluations, God often can speak in a way He cannot at other times in our lives.  Or, more accurately, we listen in a way we don’t always listen.  Anyway, having had times in my life without power and when roads were a mess due to various kinds of storms, I know the struggle they are facing is great….especially with food, water and transportation also shut down in so many ways. 
Having a number of friends on the coast from my college days, and having spent a fair amount of time in Manhattanand the Bronx, it is hard for those of us at a distance to see the kind of destruction that has come your way.  Especially after you have already gone through the disaster of 9/11/2001.  Our prayers are with you Easterners, that God’s mercy will safeguard you and yours, and help will get through soon .  And our prayers include that you will experience an incredible moment with God through these hard times.